Homeowners and business owners typically utilize keyed entries to restrict access to protected valuables, personal items and/or restricted areas. Moreover, to prevent loss, misplacement, theft or unauthorized use of the keys utilized to open these keyed entries, many individuals will hide their keys in undisclosed locations, such as, clothing drawers, closets, shelves, food jars, behind picture frames, and/or on the top ledge of a door frame. Such locations, however, are inherently unsafe and indiscreet, as the keys are not concealed, but rather placed out of sight, and easily discoverable with minimal effort. When unused for an extended period of time, the owner may even be prone to forgetting where he last hid the key.
Additionally, homeowners and/or business owners usually possess spare keys for a variety of keyed entries and/or locks for use when the original keys have been lost or misplaced. Such spare keys are usually placed within readily accessible drawers, under mats, in plant pots, or some other familiar location, that permits a user to gain convenient access thereto when needed. Unfortunately, however, such obvious key placement locations are also susceptible to discovery by unwanted individuals, thus facilitating access, theft or unauthorized use of valuables or goods contained behind the keyed entry.
Although a variety of wall depositories capable of storing and concealing keys and/or other articles are available, many such devices possess inherent disadvantages that render their use highly inefficient, impractical and problematic. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,493 to Gulya discloses a wall vault/safe that utilizes an electrical outlet cover plate to conceal a vault positioned therebehind. To access and/or place items within the vault of the Gulya device, a special key must be inserted into one of the faux-sockets, wherein the faux-socket possesses an inner locking-mechanism that, once unlocked, permits the entire device to rotate or swivel outwardly and downwardly to reveal the contents of the vault. To its disadvantage, however, the special key of the Gulya device, utilized to “unlock” the vault and access the contents thereof, contributes to the complexity of the device, and further presents the obvious problem of inaccessibility to the contents of the vault should the key ever be misplaced or lost. Additionally, due to the inherently bulky structure and complexity of the Gulya device, not only is installation of the device significantly tasking and invasive, but a substantial amount of “stud-free” and “insulation-free” space behind the wall must be present in order for the device to function properly, thus precluding convenient installation over, or in cooperation with, a pre-existing wall outlet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,314 to Garvin discloses a wall repository that utilizes an electrical outlet cover plate for concealment of items placed within a container, wherein the container is dimensioned to be received within a conventional outlet receptacle box. To its disadvantage, however, the Garvin device requires the removal of a screw from the cover plate to access the container and its contents stored therebehind, thus rendering the process intrinsically tedious and inconvenient.
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for a key storage and concealment device that effectively and discreetly conceals any type of mechanical key therein, yet permits the key owner's expeditious access thereto, without concerns of obvious discovery by unauthorized persons.